COVID: Military Planners Considering Using Personnel For Mass Testing Pilot

Armed Forces planners have been looking into how personnel could help with a coronavirus mass testing pilot.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) declined to comment on specific locations, but did say using the military to help was an option on the table.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the military has been a key part of the UK's response, including helping out at mobile testing sites across the country.

There have been reports a mass testing programme is to be rolled out at three locations, one from each tier, with the help of the Army.

Redcar, in North Yorkshire, was one rumoured to be chosen with residents being offered a test whether, or not, they have symptoms.

Steve Turner, Chief of Staff to Jacob Young MP, said: "Our understanding will be that the centres will be set up and supported by up to 400 military personnel.

"They will facilitate those units.

"I believe it will be logistical and operational, as opposed to medical, but there may be some element of the medical corps that is helping to facilitate delivering those tests."

The MOD will not comment specifically on Redcar or talk of the 10-day programme starting on 23 November.

It also says there is no fixed deployment date for military assistance, if any is to be used.

However, it confirmed military planners are working with the Department of Health and Social Care to scope out what is possible, and military assistance remains an option on the table.

"We’ve had a number of mobile testing sites within Redcar, that have helped been set up by the military already," Mr Turner said.

"So seeing military personnel at a testing station is not something that’s going to be unique in Redcar.

"I suppose the difference with this, and what does make it different, is in a small geographical location, because it's not covering the whole borough, we’re going to put up to 20 of these sites, whereas in the past we've maybe had one to cover the whole town."

It has been confirmed that two new COVID-19 testing sites are due to open in Redcar and Cleveland within the next few weeks, following an increase in the number of cases.

These will be run by a private company, not the military, on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Discussions are also underway about taking the area from Tier 2 into Tier 3 which could also impact on its potential involvement in the pilot.